Reinforced pneumatic tire including composite fabric ply in at least tire shoulders

Abstract

A pneumatic tire has a pair of shoulder portions extending between a tread portion and opposed sidewall portions. The tire has at least one ply of a composite fabric. The composite fabric has three layers with the middle layer comprising a plurality of straight warp yarns wherein the three layers are bound together with binder yarns. At a minimum, the composite fabric ply is located in the tire shoulders.

1. A pneumatic tire comprising a tread portion, a belt package radially beneath the tread portion, a pair of sidewall portions, a pair of shoulder portions with each shoulder portion extending between the tread portion and each sidewall portion, a pair of bead portions with a bead core therein, a carcass comprising at least one carcass ply extending between the bead portions and turnup up around the bead core in each bead portion to form two tumup portions and a main portion therebetween, the tire being characterized by:
 a composite fabric ply located between the carcass ply and the belt package in the shoulder portions, the composite fabric ply extending continuously from one shoulder portion to the other shoulder portion, the composite fabric ply having a radially inner end terminating a distance Y from a maximum section width SW of the tire, wherein Y is 5% to 30% of a section height SH of the tire, 
 the composite fabric ply comprising a composite fabric having a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the second middle layer comprising a plurality of straight warp yarns, the first, second, and third layers being bound together with binder yarns, the first and third layers of the composite fabric being comprised of warp and weft yarns woven in a twill pattern. 
 
   
   
     2. The pneumatic tire of  claim 1  wherein the straight warp yarns have a cord diameter of 0.25 to 4 mm. 
   
   
     3. The pneumatic tire of  claim 1  wherein the layers of the composite fabric are formed of yarns selected from the group consisting of polyester, nylon, aramid, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and blends thereof. 
   
   
     4. The pneumatic tire of  claim 1  wherein ends of the composite fabric ply terminate adjacent the turnup portions of the carcass.